WordPress version 3.5.2 was released just before the weekend. We’ve already advised all clients to upgrade, along with making sure all of our own sites are running the latest version, as 3.5.2 is an important security release.
The new WordPress version fixes 7 security issues, and also contains some additional hardening measures, which is important given the recent spate of brute force attacks on a huge number of WordPress sites. The majority of attacks focus on basic defaults and outdated software, which is why it’s so important to stay current.
Security Fixes in 3.5.2:
From WordPress.org:
- Blocking server-side request forgery attacks, which could potentially enable an attacker to gain access to a site.
- Disallow contributors from improperly publishing posts, reported by Konstantin Kovshenin, or reassigning the post’s authorship, reported by Luke Bryan.
- An update to the SWFUpload external library to fix cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Reported by mala and Szymon Gruszecki. (Developers: More on SWFUpload here.)
- Prevention of a denial of service attack, affecting sites using password-protected posts.
- An update to an external TinyMCE library to fix a cross-site scripting vulnerability. Reported by Wan Ikram.
- Multiple fixes for cross-site scripting. Reported by Andrea Santese and Rodrigo.
- Avoid disclosing a full file path when a upload fails. Reported by Jakub Galczyk.
As always, you should back up your site before any upgrade, and your update is likely to include changes to the database. If you’re struggling with WordPress, give us a shout and see if we can help!